Coward
by robinsparkles14
Summary: Rumple and Cinderella talk. Saturday's one shot is up!


_**Hello Dearies! Only one more of these to go until the big reunion-ish one! I'm excited. However, I am terrified of this one-shot because the character I'm using is non-fan-favorite, Cinderella.  
I thought about this for a long time before I realized that I story between her and Rumple that had nothing to do with snatching her baby would be really interesting, and of course we add plenty of Rumbelle to it, so I hope this works.  
The timeline for it is at Cinderella's wedding right after that dancing scene with the cool music (song: Wedding Dance by Mark Isham, it's on the OUAT soundtrack.)  
Reviews are always appreciated! Love Always!  
"Now and then I think of when we were together"-Somebody That I Used to Know, Gotye  
**__  
_"I assume you are happy with your end of the bargain? Riches...true love?"  
"Yes. Yes I am, now what do you want? My jewels? The ring?"  
"No,no dear. Keep your baubles. What I want is something you don't yet posses, but something that I know is coming... Your first born."  
He spins her out across the dance floor and walks away, cackling wickedly to himself as she stands, dumbstruck in the center of the floor.  
"No! No, wait! Please come back!" she cries, running out the door after him.  
"Ella!" Thomas calls after her, but she is already gone.  
She stops Rumpelstiltskin on the palace steps. He is walking slowly, glancing back at her every moment or so. She takes hold of his shoulder and faces him towards her. "Why do you want my baby!" she demands.  
He gives a halfhearted laugh. "You aren't pregnant yet, dearie. But I did warn you. All magic comes with a price."  
"And this is my price for the life I have!" she exclaims.  
He walks slowly to the left, keeping his eyes on her at all times. "You seem so surprised" he says, moving his hands in grand, sweeping gestures, "I would think a smart...precious girl like yourself would see the coming." He comes toward her and cups her face, "Isn't that right, Cinderella."  
She swats his hands away. "Stop it," she says coldly, "Why are you doing this?"  
"I don't see what it matters. It won't change what you owe me."  
The tears well in her eyes and she feels like falling to the ground in her own little puddle of misery. "Please." she says, "Please don't do this. I'll lose everything. My life. My Thomas. I can't lose him, please try to understand. Haven't you ever been in love?"_**  
**_He stops short and the gesturing stops. And for a split second the stone in his eyes weakens. "No." he says flatly.  
Ella cocks her head to the right, looking at him with a sense of comfort. Like she feels bad for him. "Did...did you lose someone?" she asks.  
His guard instantly goes back up. "There is no negotiating to be done. You owe me a child and a child a shall have."  
"If I give you my child it won't fill the hole she left." She says. She is strong. She knows love, and she can see that he's lost it. She can see that he wants it back. Is that why he wants her baby? Because he needs someone to love after having lost it? Impossible. He has no soul. She can see that. The evil that has taken root in him bounces off his gray-green skin into the lives of anyone who comes close to him. And now she was just another victim.  
He glares at her. "That baby," he spits, "is only the price it takes to keep the magic you need going."  
"I don't need magic anymore. I have true love, I need nothing more."  
He leans in close. "Well, enjoy it while you can, dearie. Because love doesn't always last forever."  
She points at him. "That!" she exclaims, "It's when you say things like that...you did love someone!"  
"So what if I did! It wouldn't make a difference for you!"  
She looks at him, stony faced. "No. I guess it wouldn't. But it wouldn't hurt you to tell me about her."  
He shakes his head. "Oh my, Cinderella. You have no idea what you are asking to hear. Despite any hope you may have, I am a monster."  
Her eyes cloud over with fear. "What did you do to her?" she asks.  
He breathes in deeply and closes his eyes, trying to gather his composure. Because for just a minute, he thought maybe this girl would say what Belle had said. That he wasn't a monster. But he should have known better.  
"I let her go," he says, trying to portray innocence and vulnerability.  
She walks over to him. "Really?"  
He looks right at her and says in a fluid monotone, "of course not. I locked her in the dungeon until she died. I threw her body to the wolves and hung her clothes on the wall," he thinks of the chipped cup, "I destroyed everything she'd ever touched."  
Cinderella stares at him in disbelief. "If I didn't know better I'd think you were lying to me."  
"I'd never lie to you, dear."  
"Then you've won. I will give you my child. Just promise me something."  
"We'll see." he offers.  
"Promise me you will never hurt my baby." she says, her eyes cold and untrusting. She is overcome with disbelief that anyone was capable of hurting someone they claimed to love in such a way. But then again, he is a monster. She should have seen this coming. She feels silly for ever believing he would actually let someone go because he loved them. It is much more like him to lock one up, and she fears that is the fate her child will meet.  
"I would never dream of hurting her."  
She nods. "I know."  
"And how is that?"  
She looks right into his dark eyes. "Because you're a coward."_****_

Short, yes. But it went waaaay better than I ever expected so I hope you liked :)


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